it's a . . .

GIRL!!!

We just got back from our 18 week ultrasound and found out the good news. We're so excited! I was a bit shocked, having convinced myself it was a boy after first thinking it was a girl. I should have known my first instinct would be right. Jay was not shocked at all, given, as he says, "Well, there were really only two options."

She's developing right on schedule, and she's got all her limbs and appendages. I think she's quite cute already. It's remarkable how much she's developed since our last peek at her five weeks ago. Her arms and legs are all in normal proportion to the rest of her body now, and her body has caught up with her big head. The ultrasound tech was a bit stoic -- we had to ask if everything looked good, and when we said we wanted to know the gender she focused between her legs and calmly said, "See that area there? It's a girl." I guess we were expecting a bit more fanfare, like, "Oh, look! It's a GIRL!" But as we rationalized, they could care less about the gender, they just want to make sure the baby is healthy (as do we). So in the end, a most excellent visit all around.

We got lots of pictures and I'll post the best ones tomorrow. We just wanted to spread the good news as quick as we could!